Happy Birthday Mommy
by BabyBird101
Summary: Everyone noticed. Leo hardly smiled that morning. Piper caught tears in his eyes. Jason saw his hands completely. His cabin mates can't find him in the bunker. What's wrong? Song fic (a bit) k plus for insane amounts of angsty fluff. (Better than summery says)


Nyssa noticed.

She watched as the usually hyperactive boy walked outside at four in the morning, his hands in his pockets. "Leo?" she yawned, propping herself on her elbow. "What are you doing?"

"Going for a walk," he said, his voice gentle and soft.

Nyssa couldn't see his face but his voice sounded almost chocked. "When are you coming back?"

"I'll come back for breakfast."

"You're not going down to the bunker are you?" Nyssa demanded.

"No." He didn't even try to laugh it off. But she was to tired to notice.

"Alright," she yawned again. "See you."

"See you."

Later she realized it didn't sound like a normal goodbye. By then it was to late.

* * *

Piper noticed.

She saw a figure pass her window. In a fit of insomnia she opened it and looked out. Dark curls, slumped shoulders, heavy backpack, and a sagging tool belt.

"Leo?" she called.

He turned. In the dim light she saw blood shot eyes and his hunched position. "Hey Pipes," he croaked.

"Where are you going?"

"A walk."

"What's with the backpack?"

"Just a few things." He shrugged. "No big deal."

"Are you running away?" she accused.

"No."

"Leo," Piper shoved charm speak onto her tongue. "Go back to bed."

"No." It was like he hadn't even heard her. And he began to walk down to the beach.

How had he ignored her charm speak? But Piper was to tired to notice.

* * *

Jason noticed.

It was five in the morning and the roman ways were beat into his head. Pulling on shoes and a light jacket he jogged into the cold air. February air could still reach through the magic weather barrier.

As he sprinted down the sandy space he saw a figure kicking a rock down the wet sand, the water washing across his toes with every waves.

"Leo?" Jason recognized him.

In the early morning sun he could see Leo's dim face, blood shot eyes and red nose.

"Hey Jason," he said, tone expressionless.

"What are you out here for?"

"Going for a walk."

"At five in the morning?"

"You're out here too," he pointed out.

"Why'd you take a backpack?"

"Just a few things."

"Anyone with you?" Jason asked.

"No."

"Want me to come with you?"

"No."

"Come on," Jason punched his arm playfully. "Let's go back. They should have breakfast up in a bit."

"No thanks," Leo kept his eyes on the horizon. "I'll see you later."

Jason caught the dismissal. He jogged the other way, glancing back only once to see Leo rounding the edge of the forest.

* * *

Chiron noticed.

The centaur walked to the Hephaestus table, glancing around nervously. "Where is Leo?"

"Dunno..." shrugged Jake.

"Haven't seen him," Harley shook her head.

"He was gone before I woke up," yawned Shane.

"None of you have seen him?" Chiron became concerned.

"I saw him at four this morning," Nyssa said. "But he told me he'd be back for breakfast."

"That concerns me."

"Should we set up a search party?" asked a red haired girl at the end of the table.

"I will wait until breakfast is finished. But I'm afraid we may have to." He walked to Jason and Piper who sat at the edge of the dinning hall on the floor, laughing.

"Try it again," Jason smiled.

"Alright," Piper flicked a Cheerio in her boyfriends mouth and he cheered.

"Hello children," Chiron smiled.

"Chiron!" Piper stood. "How are you?"

"I'm concerned."

"What happened?" Jason stood as well.

"Leo seems to be missing. The only one who seems to have seen him today is Nyssa and that was very early this morning."

"I saw him," Piper said. "He walked right past my window. He said he was going for a walk." She paused. "He looked really sad, now that I think about it."

"I saw him too," Jason's eyebrows scrunched.

"Did you notice anything strange?" Chiron asked.

"Nothing really. He did seem a bit off but I thought he must just have tired." Jason shook his head. "Wait. He was wearing a backpack."

Piper gasped, hands flying over her mouth. "You don't think he could have been runnign away from camp?"

"We must not jump to conclusions. If he has not shown up by the end of breakfast I will send a few campers to look for him."

"Can I help?" Both Piper and Jason said.

Chiron nodded.

* * *

The counsels noticed.

After breakfast Leo had still not come around and Chiron notified the heads of the cabins. Most recruited the strongest or fastest to look for their important mechanic. Leo was important. They could never get the Argo 2 done in time. And if they didn't get that in done in time... well no one wanted to think about that.

As head and soul occupant on his cabin Jason flew over the entire camp but didn't catch sight of the tiny latino.

Katie Gardener talked to the dryads.

Clarrise had scouts scour the woods.

Annabeth and her cabin mates poured over maps.

Will Solace and his cabin mates joined the Ares cabin.

Piper had to almost charm speak most of her cabin mates who eventually agreed to look around the camp.

The Stoll brothers went through every slippery, hard to find place in camp.

The Hephaestus kids wandered through bunker nine.

But no one found him.

* * *

By noon everyone had noticed.

"I'm scared," Piper said, holding onto Jason's hands as they searched the beach for the third time.

"About?" Jason didn't need to ask. He knew.

"What if he really did run away? And why would he do that?" Tears sprung at the corners of her eyes. "What if we never find him?"

"Hey," Jason wrapped her in his arms as she shook a little. "He's Leo. I may not know him very well but you two are my best friends. And I can say I know him well enough to know he wouldn't leave." I hope.

Silence pervaded when a sound reached their ears.

"Do you hear that?" Piper asked. It was faint, minuscule, infinitesimal.

"I think so..." Jason strained against the loud sounds of the waves.

"Is that...?" Piper headed for the sound.

"Look!" Jason pointed to footsteps in the sand. Small boots, wandering from the water. "Maybe it was Leo I did see him wandering really close to the water."

"Come on!" Piper gripped his hand and pulled Jason along, following the footsteps.

The prints were deep set into the sand as if it weighed a lot. But that could've been the backpack.

Then they vanished onto the rocks. Nothing led into a ledge as if the person had walked into the rock. "What..?" Jason muttered.

"Shhhh!" Hushed Piper, listening. It was the sound again. Faint but clearer now.

"I think that's..." Jason hesitated.

"Crying." Piper's caring instincts took over and she headed into the rocks. To anyone who wasn't looking carefully, the crack could've been invisible. But Piper had seen. And wherever Piper went Jason followed.

* * *

Chiron looked up from his food at lunch. There stood Leo, Piper and Jason.

"Children!" He smiled. "Where were you?"

"We found a cave," Jason said. "Leo had just been wandering and when we tried to take a short cut back and got a little lost."

Leo glanced at his friend gratefully. Chiron got the feeling they weren't telling him something. But running a demigod camp for two thousand years had taut him not to ask to many questions.

* * *

Earlier;

The cave was deep but at the very far end was a tiny light, a faint cry of a small child echoing in the stone walls. Taking light, quiet steps Piper and Jason walked to the light.

"I'm sorry," said the crying voice. It was a boy's voice. A Hispanic boy.

"Leo?" mouthed Jason.

They came to the end of the hall to see Leo sitting in front of a fire, a framed picture of an Internet newspaper print out. It was a very pretty woman with curly hair and a bright smile, holding a happy little boy.

The fire crackled, reflecting of the glass of the photo. Leo sat by the fire, on his knees, water clicking to the ground somewhere in the distance. No, not the distance. Tears fell to the ground, right in front of Leo. His hands were clenched on his knees and his shoulders shook.

Piper's heart melted and she started to walk forward. "Wait," hissed Jason.

"I'm sorry," Leo cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"Who?" Piper asked.

"Mom..." Leo chocked. "You told me to be happy. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm so sad. Especially today," he smiled, tears dripping on his lips.

"What does he mean?" Piper asked.

Leo streaked the picture, fingers trembling. "Mom... Happy birthday mom." He paused, choking on his on words. "I got you something." He pulled something from his pocket, something small and gold. A necklace. "I made it for you. I know how you loved my presents."

"Oh," Piper gasped, burying her head in Jason's shoulder. "Leo."

"Hey mom," Leo said. "You you remember that song you used to sing to me? You sang it all the time. I remember," he paused, catching his breath. "I remember I had a nightmare once. You sang me to sleep that night..." He took a deep breath. "You remember you are my sunshine... right?"

Piper gasped, but couldn't tear her eyes away.

"_Eres mi sol _

_Mi unico sol _

_que me hace feliz _

_cuando el cielo esta gris _

_Nunca sabras carino cuanto te amo _

_Por favor no me quites el sol..." _He stopped. His voice wasnt bad, but it was warped by tears.

_"La otra noche me quede sonando _

_Que tu estabas a mi lado _

_Y cuando me levante _

_Ya te fuiste y entonces llore _

_Eres mi sol _

_Mi unico sol _

_que me hace feliz _

_cuando el cielo esta gris _

_Nunca sabras carino cuanto te amo _

_Por favor no me quites el sol _

_Eres mi sol _

_Mi unico sol _

_que me hace feliz _

_cuando el cielo esta gris _

_Nunca sabras carino cuanto te amo _

_Por favor no me quites el sol._.." His voice faded away as sobs over took his body and he dissolved against the cave wall, shoulder shaking and voice trembling. "Happy birthday mommy. Gods... I miss you..."

"Leo!" Piper couldn't hold it back anymore. She burst from Jason's arms and ran to Leo, wrapping him in a hug.

"Hey Pipes," Leo struggled for words. "What are you doing here?"

"W-we came to find you," she sobbed.

"Ok," he said. And he returned the hug. Jason sat knelt to his friends, stroking Piper's hair.

For a moment they sat in silence, tears streaming from everyone's eyes.

"So it's your mom's birthday?" Jason asked finally.

"Yea," Leo smiled tremulously. "I wanted to get her a cake but... She doesn't like it. She always insisted on pie for breakfast too." His lips trembled. "Then, once breakfast was over we'd go for a walk to no matter the weather. Then at lunch she'd get me a huge bag of whatever candy I wanted."

"What did you do after that?" Piper prompted as Leo stopped.

"I'd try to make dinner," Leo laughed. "I lit the oven on fire one year so we went out to get pizza. I must have apologized a hundred times."

"How old were you?" Jason asked.

"I was six." Leo took a tremulous breath. "I spent weeks working on her presents. They were always jewelry even though she didn't wear any. She always wore mine. Then when they broke she'd hang them up in her room on little nails."

"Leo," Piper was sobbing almost hysterically. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok," Leo said although he looked far from ok. "She's happy. I know she's in Elysium. and even though I miss her I can see her again. Sometimes..." He laughed, "gods it sounds so childish. Sometimes I dream about her."

"And what does she say?" Piper asked.

"'_I'm so proud mi hijo._'"

**Plot bunnies are ruining my life! I had a TON of Leo-and-his-mother feels running around in me today. **

**I legitimently bawled while writing this so I hope you enjoy.**

**REVIEWS MAKE ME HAPPY. AND WHEN I'M HAPPY I MAKE BETTER ONE SHOTS THAN THIS ONE :D**

**and yes. I understand my should should be take to Tartarus fro writing this and I take full responsibility for broken hearts?**

Translations to the song below

You are my sunshine my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey

You'll never know dear how much I love you

So please don't take my sunshine away

The other night dear as I lay dreaming

I dreamt that you were by my side

Came disillusion when I awoke dear

You were gone and then I cried

You are my sunshine my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey

You'll never know dear how much I love you

So please don't take my sunshine away

You told me once dear there'd be no other

That no one else could come between

But now you've left me to love another

You have broken all my dreams

You are my sunshine my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey

You'll never know dear how much I love you

So please don't take my sunshine away


End file.
